Phantom
by Jetafray Angel
Summary: Wisps aren't what they seem to be. What if they're Spirits, sent by a higher force to guide people? But…there's more than one kind of wisp. Curious? Read on.
1. Phantom Gang Meeting

**AN: This, people of FanFiction, will be a short story. Prepare to be blown away by awesomeness of… Phantom. It's a small, humor-filled one-shot. If people want (cough-beg-cough) I might turn this into a full blown story, with a real villain, deeper secrets, and more romance! **

* * *

Danny sighed, blowing a bit of black hair out of his face as he did so. It was just another Tuesday, something Danny really hated. Most people hated Mondays, but Danny hated Tuesdays.

Besides, why should he like today? After all, his mother –Madeline– had sent him up to his room without question. And what for? Someone stole a cookie from her prized jar.

It hadn't even been him! It had been one of those Spirits! As always, when he told his mom that, she scowled and sent him up to his room.

Danny had never asked for his special abilities, of which he refused to tell his parents about. Ever since the Wisps had lead him to that…thing…he'd been able to do…weird things. After all, what normal person could walk through walls, turn invisible, fly, and speak to the dead? None.

Well, excuse a Witch, who could only do the last one.

The teenager sighed again, this time rolling on his back and staring up at the ceiling. Next week was the Royal's Festival, something he always loved to attend. Last year, he got to speak to King Fergus.

But what Danny had been more interested in was speaking to the Princess, of whom had not attended that Festival because of her mother.

But this year, Danny had a feeling things would be different! After all, a month after the Festival the Queen had been turned into a bear (because Wisps, personal friends of Danny's, just couldn't resist the opportunity).

If only people knew what the Wisps really were, then they'd probably run from them. They were trouble makers, always looking for something to do. Taking any and every chance they can, which come rarely.

And Danny, having been able to speak to them since birth, sorta fell into their trouble category. Lydia, a wisp, at a fondness for cookies. The Spirit, for that's what Wisps were, restless (but innocent) Spirits, had always loved sweet things ever since Danny offered her a piece of cake.

He never offered that Spirit any sweet again.

Now, though, he actually wanted one of the Wisps to come out and talk to him. He was bored, and boredom never meant anything good. It usually means the Wisps were up to something.

Trouble makers they were, Danny knew they worked for someone. Someone who could control fate, destiny, and probably even time itself. He was never able to get anything out of the playful Spirits, though.

Then, as if answering his unspoken prayers, someone walked into the room. It was Samantha, but she looked very enraged and flustered.

I hate ;em!" she cried, plopping down besides Danny. "I hate that fool!"

Danny blinked, turning to face his friend. "Who are we disussing?" he questioned. Samantha knew of his talents, as did his other friend, Tucker, and she rarely ever came up to Danny without checking to make sure none of the blue Spirits were around.

"Gregor!" she yelled, a tear streaming down her face. "That blumbering idiot lied to me! I saw him eating a porkchop right before me. And he was wearing red. RED! That jerk!"

Danny grinned, having known that Gregor had been a fraud. No one's ever that perfect for another person. "I told you so," he joked. "I knew he was a good for nothing jerk."

Sam actually smiled, her rare violet eyes lighting up. "You did!" Then, she frowned. "But I bet the Wisps had something to do with it, didn't they? Don't they knew not to mess with us!"

Danny's grin just widened. "No, they don't. But if you got to know them, they aren't half-bad."

"They turned our Queen and her son's into bears," she deadpanned.

Danny laughed. "True, but it was the Witch who had done that."

"They still lead the Princess into the cottage. When are you going to visit her, anyway? Did not she ask you to visit soon?" Danny knew she was talking about the small Witch (who, inevitably, had given him his gifts. The 'greater force' had ordered her to… or that's what she had told him).

"I'm grounded until the Festival," he stated. "No detours until midnight on Monday."

"Another reason to love Mondays," Samantha joked.

"Got that right. And also another reason to hate Tuesdays."

Samantha blinked. "Uh, Danny, can you take me to see her?"

"Who?"

"The Witch," Samantha stated, rolling her eyes. "I would love to see her use her magic."

"Don't your parents hate anything having to do with magic?" Danny asked, even more confused. His friend was rebellious, but surely she couldn't be implying that… No, no way.

"The reason why I want to meet her!" Samantha grinned, looking dreamily into Danny's blue eyes. "I want to know if she can do anything. I want to know if she can train me!"

"Sam, you cannot be implying that you become a Witch!"

"I am," she confirmed. "Ple–"

"What are you talking about?" Tucker asked, walking in. He was holding his newly acquired invention, holding it proudly at his side.

The first thing in both the teens' minds: What the heck is that?

"Tucker, will that thing explode?" Danny slowly questioned, subconsciously scooting away. Samantha followed pursuit.

"I do not want my face to be PINK again for another week."

Tucker grinned proudly, holding up the round glass thing with pride. "I call it… a light bulb!"

"What does it do, exactly?"

"If it comes in contact with something electrical, like a lightning or static, it will glow!"

"…Seriously?"

Tucker frowned, upset his closet friends doubted him. "Seriously! Here, Danny, do that thing you do." He thrust the glass at Danny, forcing the skeptical teenager to hold the glass.

Danny only blinked. "What do you want me to do with this?"

Tucker rolled his eyes. "Do the sparky thing you do. Send a spark into it."

Danny took a deep breath, but let the Spiritual energy bubble up inside of him, unleashing a hint of it as a green shock.

To everyone's surprise –including Tucker's– the bulb began to glow green, giving the room an erie hugh. Tucker, though surprise he was, moved and put out the torch lights, having the green glow the only thing giving any scource of light.

"It…actually…worked," Samantha muttered.

"Yes," Tucker agreed.

"It actually worked," she repeated.

"Yes."

"Brilliant!" Samantha burst, touching the bulb. She pulled her hand back, but then reached out again and set her hand upon it. "It is hot, yet not as hot as fire… Tucker, how did you make this?"

Tucker paled. "Well, uh, the, uh, Wisps… they showed me some math equations, and I just added the pieces together…"

Samantha, no longer surprised, slumped. "Of course."

Danny only smiled, eventually letting go of the light blulb. It went out, plunging the room into a temporary darkness. Danny soon, however, lit a thing of glowing green 'death energy' in his hand, letting everything become visible.

Samantha rose, putting the torches ignite again while Tucker frowned at his invention.

"I do not understand why it is not still glowing," he muttered just as Danny put out his unique energy.

Danny shrugged. "Maybe it needs a constant source to stay alight."

Tucker brightened up suddenly, running up and hugging Danny. "Thank you! That's exactly it!" He then grabbed the blub, running out of the room. Then, he came running back in, only his odd red hat was in his hand and not on his head. "Oh, ad Sam?"

"What?"

"Your mother wants to talk to you about suitors."

Samantha groaned, but went and left Danny, once again, alone in his room.

Bored again, Danny didn't notice the black Wisp that had been lurking outside of his window.

* * *

**Well? Anything? Was it good? Bad? Yes, no…maybe? Anyone catch that song reference? **

**Eh, oh well. As mentioned prior, it is a one-shot. If someone would like to adopt my plot bunny for this, drop by with a PM and I'll tell you it, and just hand it over. **

**Light bulb… Well, there's no electricity in Brave, and I thought Tucker being like Thomas Edison might match his personality more then a science and math geek. **

**~Jet**


	2. Merida & Phantom

**So, I've went ahead and wrote the next chapter. One, I got bored (no good stories have updated recently). Two, I got two Favorites and a review (made my day!), and, well, was bored. Yes, I did say that twice. **

**So, uh, I kinda need to think of a good plot. Er, I mean villain. I have a basic idea in my mind, but something sneaky– oh, wait, never mind, I got it. **

**Enjoy! **

The black wisps gradually floated away, blending in with the ghastly shadows perfectly. Finally, it made it to a green vortex, and entered. Where it ended up was a place of clocks, clanks, and other various items.

One person stood near a glass window, his purple hood pulled up to conceal his face. But, even without turning around, the man knew the wisp was there. So, he turned around, revealing his pure blue skin and inteligent red eye.

The wisp floated up to the man, flying right into the clock staff he held, leaving the man smirking.

"Why, what's this?" he asked himself, although he knew all too well what it was. "A destiny Spirit? Come to report, have you?" His staff took on an erie black hugh, of which grew brighter, and also began to ring.

The man appeared to have understood the senseless ringing, nodding approvingly. "I see." He already knew what was happening –and going to, for that matter. "So, we just ned to, cheat a little?"

There was another ring, as well as a buzz from the staff.

"I know the Observents won't like it," he stated playfully. "But what they don't know, cannot hurt them."

The staff remained silent, letting the figure return to the glass. In it, the young princess was sprawled out on her bed, looking worn out.

"Soon," was all the man said.

Merida half-stared at her mother in shock, the other half in pure rage and anger. After the issue about understanding one another, her mother was still going at it!

"Merida, the lords will be here tomorrow around noon. We want you to look your best for them, so please try and…" Her mother paused for a minute, knowing her daughter was seriously hating all of this. "Okay, Merida, I'll make you a deal."

Merida suddenly felt some of her anger dissipate, replaced with a ting of relief. At least her mother was letting her have a say in her marriage. "What kind of deal?"

The Queen smirked, pleased she had appealed to her daughter. They truly had grown closer over the…bear incident. "You behave proper–" Merida groaned "–And you can ride horse back with us to the Festival next week." The teenager suddenly raised an eyebrow, loving the sound of it. She'd take a saddle over a carriage any day!

"And you will be allowed to go off on your own for, let's say, an hour?"

Now this appealed to Merida's interests. "Make it two and you've got a deal," she deemed, holding out her hand. Her mother shook it, grinning like mad.

"Great! Now the clans can finally see what husband you have chosen!"

Merida froze. She remained silent for a while, clearly having forgotten about the decision.

Her mother seemed to notice this. "You have made your decision, right, Merida?"

The teenager blinked. "Uh, yeah. Right."

Her mother grinned, but it was quickly dissipated by the triplets running through the Great Hall (which, surprisingly, was currently empty), holding a tray of sweet deserts.

"Hey, get back here!" the cook cried, running frantically after the triplets. When they ran past Merida, she sneaked a sweet cake off of it, laughing inwardly. Although she had promised to give them all her deserts for one –or was it two?– years, she did like her sweets.

"Merida," her mother scowled, noticing the pick.

The princess smirked, biting into the cake. Then, she took out another roll she had snook off of it, and held it out to her mother. "Will bribery suffice?" she asked.

Queen Elinor eyed the roll suspiciously, remembering the last time she had accepted the last sweet from her daughter.

Merida laughed. "This one was not made by the Witch," she assured. It was true, too. "It's made by your trusted chef!"

The Queen took it, biting into the bread. When she finally noticed no fur growing on her body –or her daughter getting smaller– she sighed with content. Swallowing, she grinned towards her daughter. "Thank you. Yes, I'll accept this." Merida brightened. "But only this once." Merida deflated. "In the mean time, I want you to go to your room and prepare a speech on why you chose the Lord you did."

This time, Merida became a puddle of goop on the floor. "Why must I make a speech?" she begged. "Can't you do it?"

"I'm not the one who hasn't decided on my future husband."

"You're already married."

"And you are soon to be," Elinor retorted. "Now, upstairs you go! Oh, and no sneaking off!"

Merida, having known what her mother meant by that, waved it off and ran –to the best of her ability, considering she was in a green dress– up to her room. She half-slammed the door behind her, locking it from the inside.

Then, she seethed at herself for not having done this earlier.

"Why didn't I make my decision?" she asked herself, rolling onto her bed. She yelled some indescribable words into her pillow, before finally looking up.

"Because you don't know them," a voice answered. It had come…from her head? I didn't sound female… A male, perhaps? But it had an odd ring to it… What the heck? "You want to love someone you know, not someone you're supposed to love."

"But why would I want to know any of those snobs?" she questioned aloud. "McGuffin's nothing but a a fat old, spotlight hogging, all 'big and mighty' selfish git. Dwingal's the Twidle in 'Twidle de, Twidle dumb.' And McIntosh is well… McIntosh."

"Perhaps you need to get to know one of them to grow to love them. Perhaps you need to find a…substitute."

Merida looked up, looking for the source of the voice. She hadn't questioned it earlier, simply because it had been speaking in just her mind, but now… It was coming from elsewhere. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

There was a slightly haunting echo, but it was…caring, almost? Suddenly, right before her, a Wisp appeared. She shrieked, no longer trusting those…things! They had almost turned her mother into an animal…in personality since, that is. And they had turned another into ONE of…THOSE!

Although, if you think about it, it was technically the Witch who had done that…

"I didn't know Wisps could speak," Merida noted, pushing her stray thoughts away.

The Spirit giggled. "Not many can," it stated. "Most can only do it telepathically with special people. I can, though, thanks to a friend."

"Special people? Friend?" No, Merida, don't let your curiosity get the best of you! she told herself. Last time had almost lead to her's, and her mother's, and, possibly, all the nobles (including her father and the triplets') death.

The Wisps giggled once more, suddenly vanishing.

"Hey? Where'd you go?" Merida called out.

"In here."

Merida shot around, turning towards her closet. Why was the Wisp wanting her to go…

_"And no sneaking off!"_

The princess grinned, hoping off her bed and running to her closet. She threw the doors open, but completely ignored all the beautiful clothing before her. Instead, she grabbed a black hidden box from under it, pulling it out.

"Yes!" the Wisp urged. "I'm making history!"

Merida pretended as to have not have heard that comment. She threw the lid off, revealing a simple, light green commoners' dress. Her mother had been furious when she had purchased it, but had cooled down when Merida stated it made her feel normal.

She had used it later that night to sneak out, walking amongst some towns and villages. After, of course, putting on a black wig. Even in a different dress she was sure to be recognized.

So, she followed suit, quickly changing and putting the same wig on, satisfied with her look. She looked non-royal, and that's all she cared about.

However, when she looked around for the Wisp, she found it gone. "Oh," Merida muttered, having grown warm to the strange flare's company. But she shrugged it off, creaking open her door and sneaking out.

Danny stared up at his ceiling, debating on if he should phase out of the house for a quick flight or just go to sleep. It was still Tuesday, and he hated Tuesdays. Although, it was technically Wednesday morning, so he decided to put himself in a better mood.

And flying did just that.

In the sky, the phantom soared, letting the gentle breeze whip his now-white hair back. Although the cold, winter air stung his face, his chilling core welcomed it. The moon was full that night, and the stars shone bright in the clear sky.

If someone was, say, down below, they could see something black streak the sky as Phantom flew. But Phantom didn't care at the moment, simply because it felt so good to be out.

Samantha, his 'future wife' (marriages were a pain), hadn't been able to return, thanks to her grandma. She had thought it would be better if Sam had stayed up late with her, doing something 'secret.'

Tucker was probably off with his light bulb, tinkering away with the 'electricity' in it to make it glow.

Danny, though, was just glad to be free. No grounding, no ambitions, no worries. Life (or half-life) felt so dang good at the moment. Nothing could ruin it.

Until…he crashed into a tree.

Having your eyes closed while flying is not the best idea, just FYI.

"Ouch," he muttered, rubbing his head. It was already decreasing in pain, though, thanks to his healing abilities. "I've got to watch where I fly more often."

With that, he rose, brushing off his black cloak. Sam had made it for him, and it suited his Spiritual form perfectly. Black on one side, a neon green on the other. So, if he wore it inside-out, it'd still be the right side!

The neat thing was the green glowed in the dark. He still had to ask Samantha on how she did that, though…

He brushed that thought aside, preparing to leap into the air again. He wasn't quite done with his flight, and wanted to use up all the time he could in his flight. So, he took off.

In the shadows, though, Merida stood. She had been watching the Spirit in the sky for five minutes, entranced by the grace at which he flew. But when he landed, Merida had gotten her first good look at the Spirit.

He was, surprisingly, humanoid. Not only that, he was hot. In the cute sense, that is. Much cuter then that snotty Lord.

But what she had been most stunned was the peacefulness of the Spirit. He was not attacking, something all tales, and legends, say Spirits did. And Legends are lessons.

So, why wasn't he attacking? Shouldn't he be trying to burn down the tow and take over the world?

And that's what attracted Merida to the Spirit, making her more curious. She watched until the Spirit vanished abruptly. leaving her alone in the musty village. Not that she minded, of course. Being alone and happy was something she quite enjoyed.

Although…she had loved watching the Spirit fly around. So, unless he began to cause trouble. Merida would leave him be.

**Uh. yeah. This was actually kinda fun to write. Do you think I nailed Merida's personality? Possibly a bit of Danny's? Also, I don't know how long I will keep this story alive. It's turning out shorter then Hybrids, and just haven't totally made a good villain. So, here's the question: **

**What villain should I use? Make an OC, or use one of Danny's? Perhaps Pariah or Freakshow? Drop a review and let me know. ;) **

**~Jetafray**


	3. Various Meetings

Danny cracked an eye open slowly, meeting the bright light of an oil lamp. He quickly reached to turn it down, sitting up and stretching. He was very glad it was winter brake, and therefore, had a break from school.

He never did very well in school.

Danny ignored that thought, slowly getting out of bed and heading into the kitchen and dinning area. His sister, Jasmine (Jazz), was already up and fixing some eggs for breakfast. Typical Jazz.

"Hi, little brother," she stated, not turning around. "Have a nice night?"

"Very," Danny answered, walking to a cupboard and getting some oranges. It was the morning routine, seeing as their parents always left before dawn to help towns ward off restless Spirits. Danny would sometimes secretly assist, but he guessed he had been so conked out from the flight he hadn't even noticed the Sense going off. He pulled out some fruit, laying them out on the counter.

"How have your studies been?" Jazz continued, turning and raising a small eyebrow in Danny's direction.

Danny nearly collapsed, having not even looked at his schoolwork since, well, school. "Great," he lied, although knowing Jazz could see right through it. "You?"

She shrugged, putting a set of eggs on a plate. "It's going well. Entering college Calculous and learning the history of the old Vikings."

Danny couldn't have cared less. "Neat," another lie. "So, did mom leave any note or anything about me, ya know, not being grounded?"

This made Jazz smile. "She left a note saying that, as long as you gather our groceries, you're off the hook."

Danny grinned. "Seriously? Sweet!" With that, he ran up to his room, changing quickly, gathering money, all that stuff, and got back to the kitchen quickly. "See you later!" he called, running out the door.

"But you didn't eat…" Jazz began, but gave up. She actually grinned, plopping some egg into her mouth and grabbing an apple. She knew she shouldn't know Danny's secret, but that made it an even better reason to keep it.

When Jazz had found out, she had quickly denied the possibility. Someone being half-dead, yet half-living was entirely impossible. But, over continuous proof, Jasmine began to see logic in the sense of her brother's existence. And it was proving to be an amazing get-into-college-free-card.

Of course, she'd never expose her brother, but she'd happily make a case on his genetics. Having the ectoplasm stable the death energy while the blood and white cells work with the heart to stabilize his life energy made it a full possibility.

Once more, Jazz took a bite out of her breakfast. But then, she sighed, no longer hungry. She was still faced with that problem.

How was she going to tell her brother?

He'd probably be furious, no matter how kind-hearted he his. Besides, Jasmine had no clue how powerful her brother might be, and didn't want to put him, or herself, in any danger.

So, it was probably best she help from the sidelines, undetected.

But if Danny found out by force and not her, it might turn out even worse.

God, sometimes being smart is a pain.

Merida, surprising her mother by awakening early, had asked if she could go out for a horse ride. Her mother had been skeptical, but had later agreed when Merida promised to be back in time to meet the Lords.

And so, Princess Merida rode into Amity, ignoring all the pleasure hellos and greeting she received. One thing was on her mind.

Spirits.

She was positive what she had seen had not been a dream, and had come to see it again. Granted, the Spirit probably wouldn't come out at daylight, so she was wasting her time.

Her horse gave a whinny, tugging lightly in the direction of the Farmers' Market, needy for some apples or carrots.

Merida gave a laugh. "Okay, calm down," she cooed, stroking the mane of her beauty. Merida de-mounted, slowly approaching the vegetable stand.

That is, until she found herself on the ground, rubbing her head.

"Oh my, I'm do sorry Princess!" a male voice cried frantically, sounding more in a rush then apologetic.

Merida blinked, taking in the stranger. He was decently tall, and cute, too. His hair was raven black, eyes the purest blue she'd ever seen. But he kept glancing between him and the Market, obviously in a rush.

Unlike Merida.

"What's the hurry? Oh, and it's no big deal. I get kicked off my horse plenty of times."

The teenage boy laughed a bit, getting up himself and holding his hand out to the Princess. "Forgive me," he mentioned. He did have manners, Merida noted. "I was in a rush to get some food so I can be ungrounded!"

Merida laughed. "I know how that feels," she agreed. She took his hand. Surprisingly, for a boy who looked to have no muscle, he pulled her up with great ease. "I'm on a ride before I meet up with the Lords."

The boy blinked, then realization seemed to dawn on him. "Oh."

"Yeah," the princess continued. "Anyway, what's your name?"

"Danny," the boy —Danny— instantly answered.

"Well, it has been nice to meet you," Merida said in a somewhat mocking tone, but it was more to her fake manners.

"As to you," Danny replied. He had used the same tone, appealing to Merida. Oh, if only she was allowed to make friends with commoners!

Meanwhile, Danny had been having very befuddled thoughts on his run-in with the princess. Yes, he'd always wanted to meet her, but not in this embarrassing way. But she seemed to be enjoying it. That was a good thing, right?"

"So, uh, see you around?" Merida suddenly questioned, although she hadn't wanted to leave her knew friend… If she could call him that.

"Uh, sure," Danny agreed, but knew he wouldn't get another chance at talking with the princess.

Merida nodded, quickly purchasing a carrot and mounting, jolting away on her horse back to the castle. She made it there, too.

Only the Lords were there. And they were waiting.

Danny watched as the princess rode away, feeling adrenaline in his system for some reason. He couldn't believe it.

He had met Merida.

It was thrilling and amazing, yet a bit –what's the word?– not good. Danny knew that he couldn't befriend her, do to the royal status she has. And, although she was more warrior then princess, Danny had a sinking feeling she was a lot like Samantha.

He shook his head, dismissing his 'crazy' thoughts. Instead, he went ahead and bought some of the groceries. Then, he took his leave, making it back home just before noon.

"I've got them," he called, closing the door with his foot. Should he tell his sister? She'd probably want a detailed report on it… No, he couldn't go through that.

"Great," Jasmine called, but it was from her room (cough-library-cough). "Set them on the counter."

Danny sighed, but did as he was told. He even went as far as putting the groceries away, just to be sure he was no ,longer under house arrest. "I'm going to meet up with Sam–Samantha," he corrected. Samantha wasn't allowed to be called Sam when they were with other people. "And Tucker, okay?"

There was a small pause. "Okay, fine. Be back by supper, though. You haven't eaten all day."

Darn big sisters.

Danny groaned, having not noticed his rumbling stomach until that instant. Jazz had tossed the eggs long ago, and had put the fruit up. So, he dug out his cash, counting it. Maybe he could stop by the Bakery and grab a cake.

Yep, he had enough.

"See ya!" he called, running out the door, cash in hand. There was a muffled dismissal from Jazz.

He made it to the Bakery, bought a few cakes for him and his pals, and left. Making his way to Tucker's home, a blue mist escaped his mouth.

The Sense. But it was…different. It felt heavier, for some odd reason. Like the Spirit was more then that, a Spirit. But what could it be?

"BWAHAHA! Beware, for I am the all mighty Box Ghost!"

Danny dropped his cakes, turning around to see a blue, pudgy man before him. The blue mist escaped his mouth again, only making matters worse.

"Tremble– Hey, what was that?"

Danny took a quick look around, noting that, for once, the streets were clear. Still, though… He ran behind a carrige.

"Ha, that's right, petty human! Run from the might of the Box Ghost!"

Shifting into Phantom, Danny floated up in the air. He knew he had to fight the 'ghost', although he was personally confused. Weren't ghosts the same thing as Spirits? How was this 'ghost' humanoid, too? But he shook off his questions.

"You know, Box Ghost, you're not all that frightening," Danny quipped, making himself known. "I don't know what you are–"

"I'm a ghost, and so are you!" he bellowed. "Join me and we shall rule Earth!"

Phantom yawned. "Look, Mr. Boxy, I don't have time for this." He charged up a green blast and fired it, hitting the Box Ghost right in the chest. The 'ghost' flew back into Samantha's house, making a huge hole in the room that belonged to her mother.

Not surprisingly, a high-pitched scream came from that house.

Danny couldn't help it. He laughed. Even the Wisps –more guardians and messengers then fighters– were better fighters. After that rouge one from a few years ago, Danny knew not all Wisps were hostile.

But, to his surprise, the Box Ghost flew out of the rubble. And, following him, was about ten boxes.

"Taste my FURRY!" he cried, but didn't sound the least bit frightening. The boxes all flew right at Phantom, but he just turned intangible and let the boxes fly right through him.

"Is that all you've got?" he taunted.

The Box Ghost paused. "Yes…"

Again, Danny couldn't help but laugh. People outside began to look out their windows, instantly cowering and going back inside. "Well, I've got more," Danny stated, sending another ray of energy at the Ghost.

That's when the weird thing happened.

Upon contact, the Box Ghost became green. Like, glowing green, not sickening green. Then, a protal formed where Danny had hit, sucking the Box Ghost right in.

"What the he–" He was cut off by something warm grazing his cheek. Warm, no. Burning, not quite. FLAMING HOT? "AH!" he cried, holding his cheek. It felt like acid. The Spirits had warmed him about this. It was… Blood Blossoms!

"Stop right there, Spirit!" a familiar voice ordered. The source was a bulgy man with raven haired, commonly known as Jack. And Phantom's father. "You will no longer terrorize people of Amity!" Then, he threw another Blood Blossom, of which Danny had the ability to dodge. But he still felt the pain.

"I'm just going to go," he stated, winking out of existence and shifting (subconsciously) back into his human form. He was surprised, after all, because there was not an ounce of pain from the flowers.

He was protected from them in human form!

* * *

**Oh, wait. Danny, winking back into existence, ran to the carriage and grabbed the cakes he had set down. Then, he walked over to Tucker's, still feeling the adrenaline running through his body. **

** How was it? If you found any errors in my writing, be sure to let me know. ;) By PM or review. **

**PCE!**

**~Jetafray**


	4. Ghosts & Spirits… What?

Merida grinned widely at the sight of the Lords, walking up to her throne seat and sitting down properly. "Welcome," she deemed. Her mother was nodding approval. "To my, er, wedding choice!"

"I knew she'd pick me," Lord of Snot (HA!) stated, walking up and giving the princess a bow.

Merida shook her head. "I have not decided you," she clearly stated. "My choice will stun you all!"

Now her mother looked a bit confused, but Merida knew this was going to turn out. It had to.

"All the Lords are so amazing," she cried dramatically, but everyone seemed to be buying it. "I just cannot decide on which hunk I want to wed!"

All the Lords grinned.

"So, I must declare a tournament!"

Cheers set out upon the people, all thrilled at that idea.

"Each Lord will go through many hard challenges," she continued, adding an erie hugh to her voice. Her mother seemed to be enjoying herself, so Merida continued. "The first of which will be mountain climbing." There were some groans, but also a few cheers. And we will begin next week!"

There was silence, of which Merida decided to use to her advantage. "I want to give all my lovely Lords enough time to prepare," she stated, batting her eyelashes. Was she taking it too far? …No, everyone seemed to accept it. "After all, the rest of the challenges will be just as hard, if not harder."

"What are they?" a voice yelled from the crowd.

Merida grinned, quitting in her act. "Glad you asked! You all know the first is mountain climbing, correct?" Met with nods. "Well, the second is a horse race!" As before, some groans and some cheers. "The third will be a trek through the Spirit Wood." He voice got dangerously quiet. "The Spirit Woods is in the depth of the Kingdom, and only the bravest of brave go there. It is said that Spirits –and the occasional Ghost– live there, waiting for a human to challenge them."

"I am not afraid of any Spirit!" McGuffin deemed. "They will tremble before me!"

Merida rolled her eyes, but made sure her mother hadn't seen the action. Was her mother still calm? …Yes, and actually looked intrigued.

"The first to contain a Spirit and bring it back to here will win that challenge!"

"Easy as pie!"

"But here's the challenge," Merida continued. "The Spirit MUST be humanoid…" Come on, Merida, what did he look like? "And have snow white hair."

"Humanoid?" an enraged voice cried. "There are no humanoid Spirits!"

"There are," a new voice deemed. To everyone's surprise, someone stepped out of the crowd, his head down. "But they are not Spirits, they are Ghosts." The man looked up, revealing his snowy-gray hair and crystal blue eyes. "And I've seen them."

"Vladimir Masters!" Merida's father cried, storming off his throne and giving the man a hearty handshake. "It's great to see you, old pal!"

Vlad just grinned, shaking back. He was the King of a neighboring Kingdom, somewhere near Russia. "You, too," he agreed, but soon turned his attention to Merida. Although he would rarely visit (and it was usually for the renewing of a Peace Contract) Merida didn't trust him. There was something…off about him.

"But on the matter of Ghosts, who here knows a lot about them?" Vladimir asked, turning to face the crowd. There was a few whispers, and nothing more. The man smirked.

"Ghosts are beings made up of a substance known as Ectoplasm. Spirits are, too, but have a much lesser concentration. With the ectoplasm in them, Ghosts are able to harness it and give it a vast majority of abilities."

Merida, now intrigued, leaned closer. So…the teen she had seen the other night was a Ghost? Interesting…

"The thing about Ghosts," Masters continued, "Is that they all have one thing in common." He paused, just for dramatic effect. "Obsession."

"What does that mean?" Queen Elinor questioned, not believing in this. Spirit? Okay, she could believe those. Ghosts? As in, communicating with the real world, powerful, obsession-driven monsters? Not even in your dreams.

Vlad smirked, turning to the Queen. "All Ghosts have an obsession, something to drive them. It's the soul purpose for their existence. Some Ghosts obsessions are so small they can ignore them, but will have to obey them eventually. Others, though, are completely driven by their obsession. They have no choice but to obey."

"So what? I can still kick their can!" McGruffin interrupted, looking very bored.

If possible, Vladimir seemed even more encouraged by that. "Most obsessions are very, very bad," he said in a low tone. "I've heard stories on some. Pariah Dark wanted to rule the world, and did for a while. You've all heard the tales of King Dark, have you not?"

"What?"

"No!"

"That cannot be so!"

"But it is," Vlad pursued. "And so is the tale of Vortex, the weather God who thrust the world into ice age and eliminating dinosaurs. So is the myth of Undergrowth, plant God. They all had ruled once, and all the times it was driven by their…"

"Obsession," Merida muttered, though Vlad was one to boast the word. Had the teenager she seen been plotting some sort of take-over-world scheme? But he had seemed so…free.

Merida didn't know what to believe. But one thing was for sure. "So, who wants to eat?" She needed to think.

In all honesty, telling Tucker the entire thing with the Box Ghost while he was eating may not've been the best idea. After all, Danny now had Tucker's saliva-covered cake bits all over his face.

Danny frowned, turning intangible to let the icky stuff fall off of him. "Tucker, this is serious!" he half-yelled, not wanting to disrupt his parents down stairs. "What if my parents find out? I can't keep this up."

"Then tell them," Tucker shrugged. "I'm sure they'll understand."

"Tucker?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you checked to make sure you're currently sane?"

"No, I ha… I see what you did," he realized, waving a finger at Danny. "Fine, don't tell them. Just don't interfere next time."

Danny sighed, knowing that –for once– Tucker had said something useful. Then again, Danny didn't want anyone to get hurt… Like the Box Ghost could do any real damage, though…

"TUCKER!" a cry reached out. Tucker flinched at the voice, tossing the light bulb (which he had been working on during the conversation) to Danny.

"Tucker?" Danny asked, confused.

Tucker 'shhh'd him and ran into his closet, closing the door with a small thud. "Don't tell her where I am!" he quietly begged.

Danny shrugged, plopping down on Tucker's bed and spinning the light bulb in his hand. He was about to shock it when…

"TUCKER FOLEY!" A blonde, blue-eyed girl stormed into the room, figuratively fuming. Danny recognized her from school, but was stunned on why she was here. Star was a follower of Paulina, the richest female in the school. Well, besides Sam, who had kept her wealth a secret.

"Star?" he asked as she walked in the room. The blonde growled, grabbing Danny's shirt and pulling him up.

"Where is he? Where's Foley?"

"Why do you want to know?" he countered, hiding the light bulb behind him.

"Because he's my future husband," she screeched, throwing Danny on the bed. He had enough time to move the light bulb, but was still confused on…

"Wait, Tucker's supposed to marry you?" It had finally dawned. "But you're–" He stopped himself from saying 'stupid' or 'an idiot' or 'too good for him,' even.

"I know!" Star yelled. But then she slowly cooled down, returning to the familiar Star they all knew. "But my parents want me to be with someone who might not waste their money and will actually get a job."

Tucker? Get a job? Danny was so relieved he didn't ask that out loud.

"Well, Tucker's not here," Danny suddenly said, realizing why Tucker had hidden. "He just wanted me to pick up something."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Uh… Down by the lake?" he tried. Danny, only good at lying about his secret, really hoped this worked.

Star grinned. "Thanks. Oh, and don't worry."

"Worry about what?" he replied with.

"That Samantha won't want to marry you, silly," she rolled her eyes. "She loves you! You two are the perfect couple!" With that, she skipped away, but the door slammed behind her and Danny heard her crying, "FOLEY! GET OUT HERE AND SHOW YOURSELF!"

Danny just stood there, not knowing how to react. Truth was, he never really did like Samantha. It wasn't her or her personality, and she was plentiful pretty, but he just didn't feel that way about her.

"Thanks, Danny," Tucker thanked, getting out of the closet. "That was a close one."

"Huh?"

* * *

**Well, this wasn't fun to write. Even the part with Star (a bit of inspiration hit) wasn't fun. Although, the next chapter sure was, and if people BEG I'll post it tonight after dinner (around four hours, maybe three). Otherwise it'll have to wait. **

**Oh, and I'm kinda getting to the plot… **

**Yes, I brought Vlad in. Can you blame me? **

**Anyway, reviews are what shall keep this story going, seeing as I can easily quit it at any given time. So, uh, review! Criques welcome, and coated with a nice chocolate sauce from me! **

**Oh, and if anyone's looking to either co-write this thing with me (I write the chapter, you elaborate it), it'd be welcomed. Oh, or Betas. I need a Beta, just for safe measures. **

**PCE! **

**~Jetafray**


	5. Dinning With the Fentons

Danny walked to the kitchen for dinner, but was surprised to see his mother in the kitchen and cooking. Surprised, yes. Happy? Not so much. Last time she had brought the potatoes to life. And they weren't happy about being a meal.

The thing was, Madeline was not using any 'unique' herbs. No Blood Blossoms (thankfully), no mushrooms, nothing. Just simple fruits, vegetables, roots, and meats.

"Smells great," he complimented, walking up to the oil stove. "I didn't know you could cook without ruining the food."

"Very funny, Danny," Maddie muttered. "But we have a guest staying with us, so I want you on your best behavior."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"QUEEN ELINOR!" Jack's voice cried, followed by, "PRINCESS MERIDA AND KING FARGUS!"

Danny froze. They were…they were…they were having the royal family over for dinner? B-b-b-but he wasn't really ready! He had made plans with his friends.

But…surly they'd understand after he told them, right?

The three royal members walked in, followed by a man Danny had yet to meet…or see. The weird thing was that Danny got the weirdest feeling off the man, like his insides were trying to tell him something important.

"Good day," the queen greeted. "I understand you heard the news about Merida's wedding choice?"

Danny caught a lump in his throat. No, the word hadn't quite spread to Amity yet, and he was still clueless. Although he knew it would never happen… What the heck? Everyone can dream, can't they?

"We have not heard," Madeline perked up, looking away from a plate of steaming vegetables. "What has the young royal chosen?"

Merida walked in, followed by King Fergus. She had yet to notice Danny. "I didn't," she stated.

Now everyone (excluding the Royals) was confused.

Merida smirked. "I made a tournament to help me better decide. I just wish some of them would show real decency…"

Elinor glared at her daughter. "Lord McGuffin shows plenty of decency," she argued. "Why not choose him?"

"He's so stuck-up," the princess stated.

"Calm down," the new man urged, making himself known. "I'm sure the Spirit Hunters are not interested in the quarrels at the moment. I bet they're wondering why we asked to come for dinner, rather then having them over."

"Vladimir Masters," Jack awed, walking up to the man –apparently named Vlad– and shaking his hand. "It's such an honor to meet you! And the royal family, of course."

Madeline rolled her eyes at her husband's antics and grinned. "Jack, please remain clam tonight." She then turned towards Danny, bringing the attention to him. "Go fetch Jasmine, will you?"

He wasn't really paying attention, having been looking at Merida. Apparently, she had been looking at him, too, both staring into the other's eyes. But he snapped out of it. "Uh, sure…"

With that, he turned and made his way to Jazz's room, knocking on the door just loud enough for her to hear. The red-head opened it, a bit of distaste on her face.

"What is it, Danny?" she asked. "I'm on the last chapter of a good book."

"The royal family is hear."

Jazz visibly dropped the book she had been holding, and pushed Danny out of the way as she made her way to the kitchen. While she didn't believe Danny, she wanted to see if it was something to check in on. After all, there was no signs to indicate he had been lying.

.

When Vladimir had entered the house of the Spirit Hunters, he had been visibly worried. After all, he didn't want anyone knowing his secret. The way he had 'persuaded' the past ruler of his land to give it up to him, and the way he enslaved half the population without so much as a complaint.

But upon entering the house, he instantly knew there was something Spiritual about it. He had naturally expected it to be because of their intelligence and weaponry, but it felt different then that.

Stronger.

Pure-hearted.

And Ghostly.

Now, Vlad had plenty of experience dealing with all things Ghost, the reason why none of them currently attacked or entered King Fergus' land. But this feeling was something he wanted to look into. Really look into.

And all that changed when his eyes landed on the boy behind Madeline –a fair lady who seemed skilled and lovely at everything. Vlad did have a thing for red-heads… Back on subject, the boy had a green aura around him, not unlike the white or blue one that surrounded Ghosts.

It was a power-ridden green, giving off a similar feel to the red one Vlad had himself.

That left three possible options: One, the boy was possessed by a Ghost, which wasn't very unlikely. The unlikely part was the Ghost being as powerful as it seemed to be Only few had that much power. Two, the boy spent all his life in the Ghost Zone –the realm in which Ghosts (and some Spirits) dwelled, but had only left for this occasion. Highly unlikely. Third, the boy was like him, the most unlikely of them all.

Still, Vlad knew something was off about the boy. If the Ghost inside of him (it was the most logical one) was that powerful, getting him on Vladimir's side was a must.

It all lead to one thing: Vlad wanted the boy, and he wanted him bad.

.

Merida, when she entered, was less then excited. First her mother make her give a speech (something she HATED doing), despite the deal, and then dragged her to some loon family's adobe, insisting they knew more about the Wood then she did. Even Vladimir had seemed a bit open, yet frightened when the time came.

But when she had entered, her eyes had fallen on a red-head lady, who was in a strange attire (it was tight fabric, as far as she could tell), and her nose had been wafted by the delicious sent of vegetables and sweets.

Come to think of it, the twins were probably pealing the kitchen cleaned of all sweets then, but let that thought drop.

Then her eyes had fallen on a very familiar boy –Danny, she recalled– from the Market. Merida had swore she'd never meet him again, and yet, here he was. Right in front of her. Staring right at her.

His deep blue eyes were something Merida couldn't look away from, not entrancing, but comforting to be looked at. It was like she knew he would always be there to protect her.

But Merida can take care of herself.

Still, though, it would've been nice if she was able to befriend him.

On that thought, maybe she could…

.

Danny followed Jazz into the dinning room, taking a seat besides –shockingly– Vladimir and his father. He remained quiet most of the meal, too nervous to eat his food. So, he resorted to picking at it, unknowingly doing the same thing as the princess.

He had exchanged looks with her, giving small smiles –which were returned– throughout the meal.

…Until the subject of Ghosts –and Spirits– had been brought up.

"Why did you insist on dinning with us, Queen Elinor?" his mother asked the queen, looking up from her plate.

The queen sighed, but it turned into an uneasy grin. "My daughter has formed a tournament for her future grooms to compete in," she began, her smile never leaving. "And one of the tasks is capturing a humanoid Spirit in the Spirit Woods. No one in the land has ever been in there for hundreds of years… Except your son, of course."

Danny instantly turned bright red, looking down at the ground and pretending to be fascinated by it. That memory was still sensitive, especially because that's when he had met the Wisps, and had, ultimately, became…unique.

"We were wondering if he'd enlighten us on what is was like and what the Lords should expect while they try to obtain the white-haired Spirit."

This time, Danny froze. Humanoid. He was humanoid in his Spirit form, right? Who was he kidding, yes he was! And he had white hair. Pure white hair, to be exact.

"Did this Spirit, by any chance, happen to have green eyes?" he slowly asked. If anyone bothered to ask why, he'd say he say a Spirit like that in the Woods. That was believable, right?

Merida blinked. "Yes, he did."

He. Danny was a he. Oh, god, Merida wanted him captured!

…

…

…How did she know about him in the first place?

"Oh," was all Danny said.

Everyone at the table seemed to be waiting. Finally, the King spoke up. "Well? What was it like?"

The teen blinked. "Oh. Dark, I guess…"

"And…?"

"I…" Should he share that information? What if people got suspicious! Then again, Merida had done it… "I found some Wisps leading me there…"

His mother gaped. "What? Wisps? Why didn't you ever tell us that?"

"Yeah!" his father agreed. "That's valuable information right there!"

Merida sighed, not really interested in that. Instead, her curiosity of the boy grew even more. "Go one," she urged.

Danny gulped. "It's all kinda foggy, considering I was young. But something…blue came out of a tree and, well, attacked me." Close enough. "And I made it back to the town that way."

Okay, so what if he left out the white light, waking up with Wisps all around him, and a freaking green dog that can grow at will? It's not like any of that was important, anyway.

…For them to know, at least.

"Interesting, Vlad mused aloud. All eyes turned to him. "You say it was a blue thing that chased you out, right after you followed the Wisps?"

_More like the Wisps lead me out_, Danny thought, though he nodded.

"I wonder what the Wisps were trying to tell him," Merida spoke up. "After all they lead you to your destiny."

Queen Elinor raised an eyebrow. "So my destiny was for you to turn me into a bear."

"I think it was for you to kill Mor'du," Merida clearly stated, though adverted her mother's glare.

The King broke out laughing. "That was my destiny," he joked. "I'm the Bear King!"

Danny just grinned, remembering something one of the Wisps had told him. "Destiny is carved, not written," he mentioned aloud, earning all the looks. "We write it ourselves, not ;et someone else decide what to do with our lives or not. After all, Merida decided to accept the cake and give it to Queen Elinor, and Queen Elinor decided to eat it. All in all, the destiny was written then, but now there's more room for more to be carved."

Jazz blinked. "I never knew my little brother could be so deep!"

"Or wise," Danny thought he heard Vladimir mutter, but dismissed it when he received a warm smile from the man. "Anyway, cheers to a new year and…new destinies."

"CHEERS!"

* * *

**Review amount was just a bit disappointing, but good, nonetheless. There are a few things I'd like to get by. **

**First off, You guys can send in pairings. Do you want Danny to end up with Merida, or Sam to end up with Danny? So far it's leaning towards Danny and Merida, but I can easily make changes in later chapters to confuse you all.**

**Now to the matter of Vlad. Yes, yes, yes… Wait, no, no, no… I did NOT plan on bringing him in, but now that he is, here's another thing I want to ask you on. Should it be a Danny and Vlad rivalry, or father/son relationship? Vlad is corrupt, but maybe some love from Danny can change that. **

**Vlad is not the MAIN villain. He will cause definite trouble, but some things just cannot be that way. I was thinking of making this a small story, but maybe a small trilogy, instead? Too many ideas are huddled up, and yet I have MANY other stories to write. Jetafray's only on chapter ten, Hybrid (FP)s next chapter hasn't even been started, Predictability (unreleased on FP) isn't even to the second chapter. Uh, back to the point. **

**Should I make Vlad a main villain, or mix in Pariah or Freakshow in this story? Or do you want one decently long story (possibly around 40,000 words), or a few short trilogies (around 20,000 or 25K)? Your choice.**

**~Jetafray**


	6. Instability

-Time Leap: Tournament-

The first thing all peasants under the King's command did was surround the large mountain structure all the Lords had to scale. Danny, for instance, sat besides Sam and Tucker on a small blanket, waiting for the simple race to begin.

Sadly, because of the Tournament, the Festival had been moved back a week. But, to Danny, it had already come. The dinner with the Royals nights ago had been nice, even with the uncomfortable atmosphere.

Vladimir sat above Danny and friends with his parents, eyes on everything. Including Danny.

Merida stood, in her normal dress attire (she had BEGGED for her mom not to dress her in that…thing again.) at the top of a mountain, dusting off her hands. She had scaled in ten minutes, tops. It was just to prove to the Lords how simple it was to give the rock a climb.

And, after coming down, her eyes locked with her mother's. Elinor, having learned her lesson from being a bear, did not protest to her giving the mountain a climb. It had just been because she had been scared for her daughter's safety. Now, though, she knew she was more then capable.

Even if it was VERY unladylike.

After Merida climbed back down, she turned to the three Lords. One clueless, one staring in fear, the other puffing out his chest like the snob he was.

"Okay," began the princess, grinning madly at her possible suitors. "The first to climb the rock wins the first task. You can either win by getting to the top first, or if the other two give up."

"Like I'll ever give up," McGruffin spat, smirking at the other suitors. "You two should just give up now."

The others, however, did not respond. Unlike McGruffin, one was half-aware of the entire situation. And that one didn't even speak their language. The other was rolling up his green sleeves, determined to make his father and Realm proud. That meant creaming all the other Lord's butts.

"Begin!" an announcer yelled, waving a flag to set the three off into their climb.

"McGruffin's got muscle," Sam muttered aloud, watching as he climbed it easily, only for a rock to fall out of his feet and send him back to the start. "But not brains."

"I don't think any of them have brains," Tucker mentioned, twirling the light bulb (which had yet to work accordingly) in his hands with a frown. "One's got strength, the others got luck, the other… I'm not sure what he has, but it's not brains."

"Or looks," Sam laughed.

"Frankly, none of them have any looks," Danny put in, his small frown developing into a small smile. He felt a sharp elbow slam into his side. "What was that for?"

"Nothing," Jasmine stated innocently. "You just never know who could be listening in on your conversations."

Danny rolled his eyes, turning back to the scene. Lord Macintosh was in lead, Lord Dingwall was in the back. Of course. McGruffin was quickly catching up, however, and easily cut in front of Macintosh.

"Lord McGruffin is the winner," the announcer declared, waving the flag to the grinning Lord who was perched at the top of the rock.

Merida sighed, rolled her eyes, and blew her hair out of her face with disinterest. She had predicted as much, Tonight she'd make a small detour, though, and hopefully wouldn't have to listen to his constant. Bragging.

Vlad, from beside Jazz and Maddie, hadn't watched the entire thing. Sure, he glanced up a few times, but most of his attention had been on Daniel. Daniel, not Danny. Honestly, who'd want to be called something like Danny? It wasn't in the least tradidtional, let alone professional.

Aside from that, Vladimir had solid proof of what he believed Danny to be. Blue fog from his mouth, seemingly weak but truly strong, looks younger then appears… Not to mention him entering a forest commonly dwelled upon by Spirits and, but rarely, Ghosts.

Then again, it was still ghighly unlikely. Vladimir had gotten his unique talents from a radiated ectoplasm, of which was only found in forests dwelled by Ghosts on a regular bases. If Daniel had found the same substance, it would be VERY unlikely he'd actually swallow some, unlike Vladimir, who had been dared as a kid. But he had gotten his revenge.

Anyway, the question still remained on how the boy had gained his powers, because Vladimir was sure he had them.

Possibilities. So many possibilities. Daniel could turn out to be a powerful rival, or a powerful ally. Vlad just had to play his keys right.

Hmm… Maybe it's time he called in an old favor from his friend…

Macintosh had, surprisingly, won the horse race. It might have something to do with McGruffin's horse refusing to move, though.

So, it's the last one, and let's say Danny was having very, um, concerned thoughts.

The Spirit Woods was a place Danny rarely roamed, even with his powers. He had tried exploring it, but weird things happened. Even Sam, who had gone with him, didn't really want to go back.

But three humans going into that woods with no powers, blossoms, or Ghost and Spirit help would mean the end of them. Like it almost had for Danny.

He couldn't just let them go in there! Besides, they were looking for HIM, and he did not want to be caught.

God, what did he do to deserve this?

"Having troubles, my boy?" Vlad asked, walking up to Danny. They were in an open area outside the Spirit Woods, and Danny had been standing there. Staring. Lost in thought. That is, until he noticed Vladimir.

"What?" he replied, clearly having been too dazed to hear what Vlad had questioned.

"Is something bothering you?" he rephrased as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "You look troubled."

"I-It's nothing," Danny lied, looking away from the man. He still felt uneasy around him… "No need to worry."

At that, Vlad smirked. "Dear boy, whenever a half-Ghost is troubled, sometimes their powers react in a funny way." Danny froze. "You see, sometimes emotions are what get control of your powers."

"H-How do…" Danny tried, but couldn't bring himself to say it. What if Vlad didn't know, but was just testing?

The smirk never left Vlad's face. "You and I are unique, Daniel."

"It's Danny," he instantly corrected, then began to process what Vlad had said. You and I… "You…You're like me?" Those were the only words he could get out.

Vlad shrugged. "Indeed, Daniel." It was funny to watch the boy squirm. "Although, I am intrigued by how you've managed to survive this long."

At the teen's shocked face, Vlad grinned. He was a master at mind games, and Danny didn't really seem smart enough to push them aside. If he could trick the boy into thinking he needed him, everything would be smooth sailing.

After all, Vladimir never wed, and thus never had a child. Having a son would be a new experience; a challenge.

And Vlad loved being the challenger.

"You see, Ectoplasm is the substance that allows Ghosts and Spirits to exist," he began to explain, trying to keep it basically simple. "Without it, they'd just be lost souls with no connection to the world of the living."

"But Ectoplasm and human genetic codes have many…differences. It can cause war in the body, and thus killing someone from the inside."

"I haven't noticed anything," Danny slowly muttered.

Perfect timing. "That's because… Well, how long have you had these powers?"

"Around three years."

"How much control do you have?"

Danny blinked, trying to think of a way to answer that. "Uh, pretty good. It was really hard at first. My friends helped me–"

"I don't care," Vlad groaned. "I care about your safety. Control is something that comes naturally." Lie. "You should've been able to control them from the start. The conflict between two different sets of DNA is lethal, if the person is not trained and raised in an appropriate environment."

His plan seemed to be working, for Danny looked scared and confused.

Then, to ruin his perfect plan, Samantha jogged up, grinning like crazy. "Hey," she began, "what are you talking about?"

Vlad mentally cursed the teenage girl, of whom he had been told was supposed to marry his future son. "Nothing that concerns you," he stated, keeping calm on the outside. Then, he leaned in near Danny. "Let's keep this little chat between us, hm?"

Danny just nodded, not really having anyway to respond. God, why?

Samantha blinked, but rolled her eyes as she turned to Danny and grabbed his arm. "Come on, let's go! I thought you would want to make an appearence in the Woods, just for fun."

Danny didn't reply.

"Danny?" Sam questioned, halting when she realized her friend was not responding. "Is everything alright?"

"Huh?"

"Is everything alright?" she repeated.

"I-I don't know…" he honestly replied, turning to Samantha. She could see the fear in his eyes, but knew not to ask. If he wanted to talk, he would've, and Samantha respected that. After all, she had a crush on him, and thought he liked her. He'll open up to her when he's ready.

Finally, Danny shook his head. "Um, sure, I'll make a few shows," he agreed. Danny just needed…something else to think about.

* * *

**Sorry for the later update. Between back to school shopping, dance, and babysitting, it's getting a bit harder to find time to write. Add that to the fact I've started watching Code: Lyoko, and even have a Next Generation fic planned out… With OC acceptance. **

**Eh, keep those votes coming. So far, it's defiantly Merida/Danny, and two votes for a Danny/Vlad, Father/Son fanfic. The votes will not be solidified until the end of the Festival, when some actual conflicts and romance will begin! **

**And don't forget, short trilogies or one book? Leave a review and let me know. **

**~Jetafray**


	7. Vlad's Past (Way Overdue)

Vlad sighed heavily as the boy went away. So close…If he had just ten more minutes with him, then the boy would've come with him, begging for lessons on how to be taught how to control his powers. Then, and only then, would he actually and truly get his revenge on the good-for-nothing Jack Fenton.

Unconsciously, Vlad scowled. That nutcase of a 'Spirit Hunter' was the cause of his miserable life. The cause of him ending up alone, without a wife, and without a son. All because Jack had convinced him to venture in with him into the Spirit Woods, oh so long ago.

It had strictly been kept secret, of course. No one knew about the outing except for Madison. Jack and him, once great friends they had been, had wondered deep. Vlad had given up, but Jack's bouncy personality kept him there. After all, Vlad was too kind to let his dear friend get lost.

As it happened, both of them had ended up getting lost. The woods had been dark indeed that day, no warm sunlight streaming through the dark green leaves against the dark oak wood. Temperatures dropped rapidly. Shockingly. Every hair on Vlad's body had risen. It felt like someone was constantly watching them, their eyes never blinking or faulting for even a second.

Eventually, the two had pulled out the small snacks they had packed and nibbled on them before trying to find a way back out of the eerie woods. And, in that time, Jack had gotten excited. The buffoon had been cheery the entire time, thrilled by the sense of adventure and the wanting of catching a fabled Spirit. Vlad had been shaking in his deerskin boots the entire time, his hatred growing increasingly for Jack as it happened.

When they got out–no, it was an if at the time. If they ever got out, Vlad would have his revenge. Maybe a painful prank. Something that would scar him. Permanently. He would be on his knees, crying, pleading, begging for forgiveness. After all, Vad had always had a cold heart. That had been factorial. Everyone had realized that–all but the useless buffoon and the brilliant Madison.

Jack, in his excitement, chased after every source of eerie noise. Whether it be a moan, a scream, or even a "BEWARE!", he took off after the sound. Vlad had to struggle often to keep up, quickly tiring.

And soon, he lost Jack.

He was all alone in the Spirit Woods, where creatures dwelled, things of myths came true. Vlad was terrified, but his cold heart and thirst for revenge kept him going. He kept trekking, a firm scowl on his face. All fear was surpassed by anger.

And that's what made the red wisps come to him. Red, as in fury and rage. They stocked him, listening, watching. All they needed was a cold soul–and the teenage boy before them was perfect. Red wisps were things of darkness, attracted by ony the most murderous thoughts. They had obsessions, dark ones, that never left. Someone needed to take those obsessions, that way they could do the one thing the wisps couldn't do alone.

Control the world.

Vlad had never known they had been watching him. He just felt their eyes on him. _'Let them watch. Then, they'll be able to see how evil I can be when someone betrays me.' _That's when the first red wisp revealed itself to Vlad, appearing right i front of the pathway before him. Despite every sane thought on his mind telling him to run, the insane part urged him to follow. At that moment, the insane won, driven by the thirst of vengeance.

Red wisps appeared after the other, sending Vlad deeper and deeper into the woods. The area of the trees got thinner, and eventually, there was a large clearing, plaain as day. Seven stone, but not like the ones near the Royal's castle. These had colors, symbols, and different…feelings coming from them. White was in the center. Red was on the circle surrounding it. There was pink, yellow, black, green, and blue. The strange thing was that the black seemed to be glowing.

Twelve red wisps lined themselves against the edge of the stone, whispering to Vladimir. They told him of greatness, treasures, and revenge. Vlad walked, half-entranced, half by choice to the large stone. The symbol was a drop. Simple as that, just a little, simple, plain droplet. Curiosity got the best of Vlad as a wisp appeared at the very tip, telling him to touch the drop there. He did.

There was a blood-piercing scream that reached the Netherlands. It sounded so in pain, so lost, yet so found.

Crimson blood was pulled out of Vlad's body as it flowed along the droplet, glowing brightly as it did so. When the droplet was filled with the blood, Vlad's had remained on the tip, unmoving. He couldn't move. It was like he was stunned, stuck to it, his only thought on the pain. Blood loss escaped him. It didn't matter anymore. He hoped he lost more, that way he'd be dead, and the pain would leave.

But fate wouldn't have that. Something new burst into his body, making Vlad's body glow a bright red. His skin shifted into a pale blue, cold-colored as the temperature of his heart. Gray hair became sharp black, pulling into two strict points as sharp as a razor. Moonlight-white fangs grew painfully, even more sharp than a dagger, or the King's best sword. His eyes flooded red, the same shade as the stone, only they lit the night sky more than the moon.

It was that night Vlad had half-died.

He didn't know i he should consider it a gift or a curse. It was a gift from the wisps, for they gave him the power to take over the world and exact his revenge. He was so close to it. It was a breath away. He already ruled an entire empire, and three more were in the process of falling to his feet. The peace treaty with the Royal's would end in a few years, and they would be the last to fall. Maddie, his dear, sweet, innocent Maddie would have no choice but to join him in his conquer on the world as he moved to the fabled Americas. He would have Daniel very soon, that much he was sure.

Everything was working in plan. Nothing bad was happening that could stop him, nothing at all. His plans were full-proof.

A small, dark laugh escaped his lips.

When he was done, and the world, his love, and future son (possible daughter as well, if Jasmine was worth the trouble), the Jack would be all alone. No friends, no family, no hope. He'd be crippled. His insides would be broken. He wouldn't want to live anymore. Death was all he would want. And after years of torture, pain, and boasting, Vlad would grant him that wish.

But only when he was nothing more than the bones, broken and shattered, of his old, buoyant self.

Danny floated through the woods slowly. His cape blew lightly and his body gave off the faintest glow.

A blue wisp appeared, smaller than most, as it stopped Danny in his float. It flew around his head with a joyful laugh. When Danny gave a forced smile in reply, the wisp froze, and made a bell-like sound. Danny knew that sound; it was the sound the wisps made when they were calling others. For some reason, Sam and Tucker never heard it. Danny did.

Three other wisps appeared. When the little one spoke to them, Danny could feel the concern coming off of them. They could always tell his feelings. And now, they were worried about him. But no matter how annoying and playful some could be, they never wanted him to be sad. They wanted him to be at peace, and that often meant him being his hyper, fun self.

Danny didn't do sad.

But all the same, he didn't want to trouble his Spirit friends. Of course, the blue wisps were persistent when he told them that, so Danny was forced to tell them the trouble of it all.

"There's this…man," he began with a frown. "His name's Vlad and he's…like me." Instantly, the wisps glew brighter as they gave cries of shock. "He said I was…unstable." Te chock from the wisps became anger by some as they instantly began to console Danny, telling them that Vlad was wrong. Danny had the oddest feeling like they were keeping something from him. Something important. Something big. But Danny decided to ignore it as he allowed their words to seep in.

He trusted the wisps a billion more times than he would ever trust Vlad, that was a fact. If they claimed something was untrue, unless they were being playful, Danny would believe them. It didn't matter what the other person said, wisps were his best friends.

Just then, something rustled in the grass.

"…Looks like it's one of the Lords," Danny muttered, a small smirk rising. Well, he did have a promise to keep, right?

* * *

****_  
__**Hi. Long time no see, huh? Sorry 'bout that. As some of you can assume, inspiration had fled from me. But, over the break, I was hit with a new story plot for a story. However, after trying to write it and see it as an epic fail, I decided to move it here! YES! It will be EPIC! HAHAHAHAHA! **_

**_Updating notice: Hopefully, this will update once a month. I am working on other stories and time has fled from me for the most part entirely._**

**_Other note: Please check out the polls on my profile. I would really appreciate what you all have to say on the FP story (comin' out TONIGHT on FP) and am curious as to all your views on OCs. After all, they will be a bit important in this story later on. _**

**_Next note: The first four to review will get a special opportunity to help me with something on this story. That is, if you want to. :) It'll be worth it to review. Yeah, bribery, so what? _**

**_Third note: Dang, lots of notes, huh? _**

**_Anyway, I thank you all who have stuck with this story! :D _**

**_~Jet_**


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